Of Guns and Roses
by Saberpilot
Summary: A Petshop of Horrors Gunsmith Cats Crossover Fic. An old crime boss purchases a pet from the infamous Chinatown shop- only its consequences might be more than anyone can handle. Time for the GSC to get in on the case, ne? Chapter four up!
1. Contract Signed

A/N: Believe it or not, this story has an actual plot that had time put into it- these two universes are not thrown lightly together. The idea first came to me whenever my friend and I were watching Petshop (the anime) and I commented on how much Leon reminded me of Bill from GSC. From there, this fic was born.  
  
I hope that people will enjoy this, since it's my first *serious* crossover- (The Chibi Files is not serious. At all. -_-;) and that it lives up to the characters of both series.   
  
In any case, I do not own GSC (Gunsmith Cats) or Petshop of Horrors. Please, R/R and let me know what you think.  
  
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The man smiled as he sat at the table across from the Chinaman. The negotiations were going well now that he'd explained his reasons for wanting the animal. He stirred his tea once more with his silver spoon, watching the tan liquid swirl around in its china confines.  
  
"So. We have an understanding then, Master Farcelli?" The Chinaman asked, watching his slightly balding customer stare at the ripples in his oolong tea.   
  
"Yes, of course. The forementioned price I told you is acceptable as well?"  
  
"Oh, yes, I believe that it will be more than sufficient."  
  
The man put his spoon down and watched, entranced. The tan liquid continued to spin around, slowing down to a turtle-paced turn, until the liquid reached equilibrium, small white bubbles foaming at the top. Done with watching, he smiled genially towards the pale-faced man.   
  
"Then shall we quit with the pleasantries and get down to the business of cementing this contract of yours?"  
  
"It would be my pleasure," the man said, smiling. "After all, turning a dream into reality is my whole reason for being here." He stood up gracefully and reached beside him to a small tea table, picking up a piece of paper and pen, then striding next to where the man sat with his forementioned tea.   
  
"Just sign here. Remember, we are not responsible if any of these terms are broken."  
  
"I understand. Just give me the pen."  
  
The balding man smiled as he signed the contract of ownership. Of course he had every intention of following these guidelines. Which is what they were of course. Guidelines, that is.   
  
The Chinaman grinned as he watched the man sign. Another dream fulfilled.  
  
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"Rally! Rally, where the heck are you?" A petite blonde yelled to the wooden walls that answered her with silence. The young woman put her hands on her hips, then rolled her eyes. "She's always here whenever I need someone to criticize my choice in food, but never when I actually need her. RALLY!"  
  
"I heard you the first time!"  
  
A black haired young woman looked around a nearby corner towards the blonde, her blue eyes slitted in annoyance. She raised an eyebrow, then sighed. "May, what do you want?"  
  
The blonde grinned with a cat-like grin. "There's someone on the phone for you."  
  
"Someone on the phone for me? If it's about Gunsmith Cats, then why can't you handle it?"  
  
A wider grin replaced the blonde's already cat-like one. "They asked for you specifically. Rally Vincent."  
  
Rally dropped her irritated act and instead looked at May with suspicion. "Asked for me specificallly, huh? What aren't you telling me, May Hopkins?"  
  
"Nothing," the blonde retorted, holding out the wireless phone to her partner. Rally raised an eyebrow, but swiped the phone from the woman's hand. "I swear, if it's any of your bomb friends playing a prank-"  
  
"Oh trust me, it's not," May winked before heading back into the deeper confines of the shop. Rally looked nonplussed for a moment, then put the phone next to her ear.   
  
"Hello, Rally Vincent, Gunsmith Cats. How can I help you?"  
  
"Well hello. If it isn't my favorite pussycat."  
  
Rally internally promised death to a certain blonde-haired partner of hers as she gritted her teeth. "Hello, Mr. seven-eleven. What do I owe the pleasure of this call to?"  
  
"Ouch! That almost hurt," Bill responded on the other end. "But I'll let it slide just because you're so sly, my pussycat. Can't a guy call once and a while just to make some pleasant conversation?"  
  
"No conversation is ever pleasant whenever you're involved." Death to a certain bomb-crazy partner. Soon.  
  
"Oh, are we still sore about my last blackmailing attempt?"  
  
"I checked up on that so called 'clause' of yours afterwards. May didn't have to file a weapons patent on those things if she wanted to use them."  
  
"Well..." the phone's voice drawled for a moment. "Maybe I told a little white lie. But who did it hurt? Certainly not May- I've been told by my superiors that they want to possibly make a deal with her about those stun-bombs of hers. They're much more effective and less harmful than those tear-gas hoses."  
  
"You still lied."  
  
"Well... chalk it up to the fact that maybe I needed an excuse to see my favorite kitty once more, hmmm?"  
  
Rally sighed, exasperated with the police officer. "What do you want, Bill?"  
  
"Maybe a trinket from my favorite gun store."  
  
"A trinket?" Rally raised an eyebrow, listening. "What could you possibly want from our store that you couldn't get from either your department or the army grunts downtown?"  
  
"Maybe something that hasn't been invented yet. That requires a certain amount of slyness that I can only get from a certain pussycat of mine."  
  
Rally closed her eyes, letting her free hand rub them via the bridge in her nose. "A certain pussycat? Why don't you just get to the point, Bill? I have no patience for games with you."  
  
"Let's just say one of the crime bosses I usually do undercover work with the station for just spent a large amount of money."  
  
"And... what would this have to do with me?"  
  
"I've been ordered by my bosses to get back into the game and keep tabs on the guy. What I need you and your adorable kitten for is to help me get or make some weaponry that can pass through his defensive block. Preferably alive."  
  
"And why should I do this?" Rally sighed, rolling her eyes. "You know I don't like dealing with you, Bill."  
  
"Maybe for old time's sake?"  
  
"...not good enough."  
  
"Okay, then. I didn't want to have to resort to this, my fine feline," the policeman drawled on the other end, "but it's just come to my attention that you happened to sell a few weapons to a Mr. Austin Powell?"  
  
Rally went over a checklist in her head, trying to recall all the people she'd had in her store the last couple days. Something finally clicked, and she spoke into the phone, her tone of voice questioning.   
  
"Yeah, I remember him. Tall guy, curly black hair and a short mustache? He wanted a .45 with a quick-load clip."  
  
"I hate to break it to you, my darling kitty, but he's an escaped convict by the name of Carl Vocelli. Any documents he gave to you were most likely forged. And although you can't be responsible for not knowing these documents were forged, every single gunshop in the United States is sent a calendar with names and faces of people not to sell guns to. I'm sorry, my dear pussycat, but I'm afraid if you don't help me..."  
  
Ralley sighed, inwardly bashing May for ever having picked up the phone. "If I don't help you...?"  
  
"I'm going to have to report your lovely self and collect on the $500,000 fine that comes from selling a convict arms."  
  
"Bill-"  
  
"I'll be around in half an hour."  
  
The other end of the phone line made a quick 'click', and Rally put the cordless phone onto the nearby desk. Damn him. Damn that stupid seven-eleven-freaking-  
  
"So... what'd he have to say?" May asked, popping her head in to see what had transpired between the police officer and bounty huntress.  
  
"May, remind me that I need to find an anti-cop spray. Now."  
  
May sighed, crossing her arms and looking at the ceiling. "What'd he get us for this time?"  
  
"Selling arms to a convicted man whom we didn't even know was convicted. He's going to be here in half an hour."  
  
May grinned, slightly sly. "Well, we'd better get ready, then, hmm?"  
  
"Not only am I going to have to find an anti-cop spray, but an anti-bomb-bunny one too. Especially if certain partners of mine don't shut their traps."  
  
It was too late, however, for May to get the joke, as she had already vanished back into the store. Rally rolled her eyes and sighed. Between cops and blondes, she was cursed for life.  
  
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Leon Orcott stared at the computer screen, an eyebrow raised in annoyance. A very wealthy personage had just been in to visit the Chinatown pet shop run by the eccentric Count D. And if there was one thing that annoyed Leon, it was people continuing to buy from that stupidly annoying Chinaman.  
  
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, placing his hands behind his head. "If it isn't one thing, it's another."  
  
"It's another what?" Jill asked, turning around a nearby cubicle corner and raising an eyebrow. The Los Angeles policeman's computer caught her eye, and she smiled. "The pet shop again, huh? When will you learn, Leon, that Chinatown has its own set of rules, and that normal people like us will never understand them?"  
  
"Hi, Jill," the policeman answered, raising a hand in welcome towards the blonde. He then placed it behind his head once again, and sighed. "I swear, sometimes I get so aggrivated by that stupid Chinaman-"  
  
"Sometimes?" Jill grinned slyly, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Okay, okay. But I'm not obsessed, get it? I just want to know what the hell is going on in there. If I don't get some real answers, answers that make some sort of sense, then I swear I'm going to go insane."  
  
Jill laughed, shaking her head. "I always tell you, Leon, you need to get a little imagination on your side." The blonde secretary sat down in a nearby chair and appraised the police officer. "So, what's it this time? Death? Murder? A killer rabbit?" A small grin painted itself on her lips.  
  
"No. Nothing, yet. Just a very, very rich person who's purchased something from our favorite Count." Leon pursed his lips together. "As much as I want to believe that this will be an incident where there will be no unhappy ending... I know that stupid pet shop."  
  
"Come to think of it..." Leon suddenly said, sitting up and putting his forefinger and thumb against his chin, "That wealthy person that went into the shop was Lewis Farcelli."  
  
"Farcelli... Farcelli... why does that name sound familiar to me?" Jill asked, tapping her finger on the table.  
  
Leon made a mock gun towards Jill and 'shot'. "I know why it's familiar- he was in the news about five years ago for running an underground mob scene. He was absolved of all his crimes in court and given a clean slate. Lately, he's been putting most of his business into the horse business."  
  
"Horse business?"  
  
"Racing and breeding stallions. He runs a racetrack north of the city- makes millions, I'd bet, having people come in and bet on which ones win. Although he doesn't allow only his own horses to compete, as that'd be unfair. Only one of the horses in each race is one of his own... and from what I hear, it's actuall pretty fair on which horse wins."  
  
"Sounds like he made a complete turnaround."  
  
"I'd like to think that too, but word has reached my ears that Mr. clean slate may not be as honest about changing his ways as he says he is. His money has been passing hands quickly, and he hasn't been making the kind of money he's been giving out from his own horses. I suspect he's back to his old tricks."  
  
"And you think he might be working with the Count from the pet shop."  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
Jill grinned. "You know what you have to do if you want any information, Leon."  
  
The blonde man sighed, unhappy. He crossed his arms, then nodded dejectedly. "Although I'm getting tired of finding bakeries that don't know me yet."  
  
"I'll get to that paperwork. You go find out about our newest mob boss."  
  
"I owe you another dinner, Jill," Leon said, winking while he grabbed his jacket. He walked towards the exit of the police station, leaving behind the secretary in his wake. He then turned and smiled at her. "I'm just grateful that D hasn't asked for any favors like that- I can't imagine what I'd do then." He smiled, then waved. "See ya!"  
  
Jill shook her head, then smiled as she watched him exit the door. "Some men..."  
  
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"And this stall would be for... who, Master Farcelli?" The stablemaster asked, looking around the new extension that connected from the stables of Farcelli's steeds to his own house.   
  
"A purchase I made," the brown-haired man answered, smiling. "A rare find, indeed. I will be taking care of this one personally, Charles."  
  
"I... don't understand. Is my work not good enough, sir, that you want to take care of this personally, or...?"  
  
"Charles, Charles, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I have a special obligation to this specific animal." Farcelli smiled and patted his stableman on the back. "Perhaps, one day, I will explain to you. However, right now, I am unable to say exactly why this specimen is so... unique." He smiled, and then peered out a nearby wooden window towards the front of his estate, only to see a horse trailer attached to a truck pulling in front of the stables.  
  
"Ah. It seems my newest acquisition is here already."  
  
"Master Farcelli? Will you need any assistance?"  
  
The man smiled, and shook his head. "No, but thank you, Charles. Why don't you take the rest of the day as a holiday off?" The stableman smiled, then nodded, used to not questioning his employer's odd visits by people. He strided out, leaving the rich man alone with the truck and its attached horse trailer.  
  
A man, dressed in a simple blue jumpsuit, walked out of the truck. Farcelli nodded to him, then walked over towards him. The man held out a clipboard to the rich horse owner, as well as a pen.   
  
"Sign here, sir. Master D wanted to make sure that the mare arrived in one piece."  
  
Movement from inside the trailer assured Farcelli that the animal bargained for was inside, and he nodded, signing the waver that the man had given him. The jumpsuited man nodded, taking the clipboard. He walked over to his truck and disconnected the tailer from it, then tipped his hat to Farcelli. He jumped into his cab and took off, leaving the horse trailer behind.   
  
Farcelli looked at the trailer and grinned, although he looked around first to see if anyone else was around. Seeing no one, he opened the trailer door and walked over to the stable, opening the door to lead her inside.  
  
When he opened the door, he turned to face his newest acquisition, and his eyes widened. He gasped, not expecting what was before him.   
  
Instead of a mare with four hooves and an equine snout, a lithe, tall lady stood before him. Wide golden eyes stared at him with a deep intelligence, framed by white locks that curled down her face. Her face was centered around an elongated nose that flattened into a wide, almost equine set of nostrils. Long, flat ears rose from either side of her head, ending in sharp curves.   
  
Farcelli gasped, beholding the female presence in front of him. He held out his hand to the female, inviting her into the stable. She blinked, then held out her own hand towards him. The man looked down to see a dual set of long fingers joined by a shortened thumb. He looked up into her intelligent golden eyes, and smiled when the equinal woman gave him a faint grin back.   
  
He reached out with his hand and stroked the white mane that not only encircled her face, but the long tresses that continued from her neck and down to the small of her back.   
  
"I... I never imagined... you are much more beautiful than any mare I would have expected. The Count was right. You are indeed a gem."  
  
Farcelli smiled as he showed the creature its stable, leading it by the hand. There was no way a beautiful creature like this could be a horse, no matter how odd she looked. Although the Count may have promised him the finest filly in all of existance, he was far from unhappy with this... substitution.  
  
Far from unhappy.  
  
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Well???? Read/review/let me know what you think. And always remember, the pets in the Pet shop are never what you think. ^_~ 


	2. Bribery or Setup?

A/N: *blushes* I'm glad so many people like this fic- I was afraid no one would... and yes, I'm trying to keep up with everything, believe it or not. My other fics are being updated- I've been working on about 3/4 papers a week... not fun, let me tell you. .  
  
In any case, enjoy and review, because I'm doing my best to have this updated as quickly as possible! ^.^  
  
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"Hello, pussycat," a drawling voice said as it neared the front counter of Gunsmith Cats. May stood with her back to her brown-haired counterpart, giving the man a sidelined glance. Rally pointedly ignored the man.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't double-O seven eleven," the taller woman said, her blue eyes flashing angrily.  
  
"Isn't that nickname getting a little old, ladies?" he asked, feigning heartbreak.  
  
"Are you implying that you aren't a secret agent?" May asked, cat-like. She winked at the man, who gave the blonde a raised eyebrow in answer.  
  
"Don't bring my HQ into this, Miss May Hopkins," he responded, shaking a finger. "Now your partner here promised me that she'd help me make a gun-"  
  
  
  
"More like blackmailed into making one," Rally snorted. "It wasn't by choice, you do realize."  
  
"Of course, my dearest Rally. But if I hadn't blackmailed you, then unfortunately, I wouldn't be getting what I wanted, now would I?"  
  
"You're such a bastard," Rally harrumphed.  
  
"At your service," Bill said, bowing to the two women. Rally looked over at May, who was looking none too pleased. She sighed, then looked Bill straight in the eye.   
  
"Well, since we've obviously been stripped of our free choice in this matter, how can we help you?"  
  
"Ouch! That hurts, it really does," Bill said, shaking a finger at the brown-haired woman. He then got right down to business, his demeanor becoming serious.  
  
"I need something small but deadly. No metal."  
  
"No metal?" Rally raised an eyebrow.  
  
"No metal. I need it to fit nicely into an inner suit pocket about yay big," he said, gesturing with his hands to show them. "It needs to be relatively flat enough that it might be confused with a wallet. And... I need it to have a self-destruct button just in case it gets into enemy hands."  
  
May raised an eyebrow. "All this in one gun. And you want it to be deadly?" She looked over at Rally. "Does he even have any idea how hard it is to make a prop gun like that, let alone one that can shoot to kill?"  
  
"I'm not an idiot, if that's what you're implying, Miss Hopkins," Bill said, raising an eyebrow of his own. He pointed his finger towards the blonde. "After all, I came to you two."  
  
"Now he tries flattery," Rally commented.  
  
"I'm not trying flattery," Bill grinned ear to ear. "I'm using the truth, my kittens." He winked. "So, can you happen to help me in this dilemma?"   
  
May and Rally looked at each other, Rally finally giving up and sighing. She turned her eyes to look at Bill's.   
  
"We don't really have a choice, now do we?"   
  
"That's my pussycat."  
  
"You'd just better stay out of my way, rent-a-cop, or you'll find out exactly how sharp this cat's claws are."  
  
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"Count! Madame Butterfly! Where the hell are you, Chinaman?" Leon Orcott queried of the silent pet shop walls that surrounded him.   
  
"Hello, Detective. I would ask that you not be so loud, as it might disturb the delicate ears of some of my friends here," Count D smiled, holding out a white-skinned hand to the air. A bat-winged creature fluttered a moment before settling onto his index finger, and the Chinaman smiled at it.  
  
"I'll be loud if I want to. You're up to your old tricks, count."  
  
"Old tricks? I wasn't aware I had any tricks to begin with, Detective." The violet and golden eyed man smiled, then gestured towards a twin set of ornately decorated couches that surrounded a small table.   
  
"Lewis Farcelli. What do you know about him?"  
  
"Would you like some tea?" Count D asked as he walked over and sat down. The small creature roosting on his fingertip made a cute mewing noise and fluttered away from its perch, floating up to finally rest on D's shoulder.   
  
"Tea. Always tea. Don't you eat anything?"  
  
"Eat anything? Well of course, Detective. Otherwise, how would I have the energy to walk and talk?" Count D grinned with thin lips, pouring the tea delicately into a set of twin china teacups.  
  
"Walk and talk, eh...?" Leon rolled his eyes for a minute, then pulled out a paper bag from the inside of his jacket, holding it out to the Count. He placed it on the table in front of him.  
  
"For me?" the pet shop owner asked, smiling. He opened the bag up, only to find- "An original Godiva German chocolate cake! They only sell ten of these per day at the downtown store!" The man's eyes widened and he held a look of anticipation similar to that of a child on Christmas, his face all a-light.  
  
"Good. Great. Glad you like it. Now down to business. Lewis Farcelli."  
  
"Mr. Farcelli. Yes, I remember him. The horse enthusiast." Count D placed a china cup in front of the policeman, who finally sat down in one of the ornately-covered chairs.  
  
"Word has it that he just bought something from you. Something very... expensive."   
  
"Yes. Mr. Farcelli did just do business with me. I wouldn't say that it was expensive, considering the item that was exchanged was one of the last of its kind."  
  
"And that is...?" Leon asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"A horse. A very rare breed, at that. An offshoot of one of the Arabian lines. It was known as the 'desert snow rose,' pure white in color, and very easily trained once captured. Although they were easily trained, they were very difficult to capture. So, when I came across this rare breed, and word came to Mr. Farcelli..." The Chinaman smiled, then sipped at his tea.  
  
"And this was a normal horse?"  
  
"Quite normal. Only a very rare breed."  
  
"Something about you and your rare pets has me wondering. Were there any special... sales terms with this animal?"  
  
"Sales terms?" Count D asked, raising an eyebrow. The man proceeded to sip his tea, then placed it back down on the table. "Yes. There were three terms."  
  
"Let me guess. Keep the drugs in a cool place, keep the pet in an even cooler place since it happens to be a snow demon that eats little kids for supper, and... oh yeah, keep the drugs hidden from police?"  
  
"Detective, you know I do not deal in drugs," Count D said, sipping his tea and smiling.  
  
"And the snow demon?"  
  
"...Mr. Farcelli did not purchase anything but a horse. And as for the terms of his purchase, I hope he keeps them so that he might be happy with his new pet."  
  
"The conditions, Count."  
  
"Here. If you are so worried of the consequences, then I shall let you examine the sales terms yourself, Detective." The pale-skinned man held out an envelope to the policeman. Leon gave the man a raised eyebrow and a smirk before accepting the envelope.  
  
"Conditions, conditions. Let me first see here if..." Leon opened the letter and gave a cursory glance down to see if the signature was fully legal. "It's good. Now, what are these terms?"  
  
"One, to always burn incense around the creature," D said, smiling slightly. "Two, to never let anyone see her. Three-to never let her breed with any but her own breed to keep the line pure."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Simple. That Mr. Farcelli should not let the mare breed with any but other horses of her own kind."  
  
"I don't think Farcelli'd be stupid enough to let her be bred with a goat, if that's what you're implying. But the incense and secrecy? That doesn't sound like a normal horse to me, Count."  
  
"The Desert White Rose line is a very high-strung breed. If any other people are brought in to see the animal, then the horse would become agitated and dangerous. Therefore, it is best that only Master Farcelli deal with it by himself."  
  
"And the incense? You sure you're not running drugs?"  
  
"Quite sure, Detective. Now if you are finished, I would ask to retire. I have many pets to feed."  
  
"Feed them crack, you mean..." Leon mumbled, noting the obvious dismissal and standing up. He headed towards the door of the pet shop, glancing behind him as he left. The Count had disappeared from his ornately covered chair, and the only evidence that he had ever been present was that oddly-shaped creature that followed him around. It was currently nibbling on the crumbs left from D's chocolate cake.  
  
The cute little thing stopped its nibbling to look up at Leon with wide eyes, as if to ask what was the matter. Leon sighed, then ruffled his hair.  
  
"Just a stupid flying rat. Right. No intelligence. Why do I even let this place get to me?" He muttered as he walked up the stairs towards the street level, leaving no trace behind of himself save for his footsteps...  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"Rally, are you done with the frame YET?" May asked her partner, currently swinging back and forth on a nearby pole. "I'm bored. Hurry up so that I can get to work on my part."  
  
"A frame doesn't cool down quickly, May, you know that. And besides, plastic has to be let to cool... otherwise it doesn't retain its shape very well." Rally Vincent inspected her handiwork, lifting up a pair of safety goggles from her eyes. She looked back at a nearly prancing May and sighed.  
  
"But... if you want to start getting the materials together now and then insert them, that might not be a bad idea. Since you're so bored."  
  
"I never thought of that-" May grinned, then ran off to get her little chemical lab filled with explosives and dangerous toys alike. Rally shook her head. You know what they said about girls who liked bombs...  
  
Well, come to think of it, that couldn't really apply to May. After all, the girl wasn't calm enough to even pull the latter half of the saying off.   
  
Rally smiled half-heartedly, then threw her goggles to the side. Even though she was being blackmailed into making this gun, she had to admit... it was kind of fun. The brown-haired woman hadn't worked with plastic weapons in a long time, and it was good to get practice in every now and then to keep up one's skills.  
  
She sat down, only to hear a set of footsteps coming towards her. Grinning and shaking her head, Rally pulled out a set of papers and began to go over them, combing them to try and find the records that belonged to the Mr. Austin Powell that she'd apparently sold the .45 to. Perhaps if she could find the paperwork...  
  
Or not find it.  
  
She could get out of this whole blackmailing deal, period.  
  
"I'm back!" May grinned at her partner whole-heartedly, a silver case in one hand and a large duffel bag in the other.  
  
Rally rolled her eyes. "I hadn't noticed."  
  
"Huh. You're no fun." May winked, then placed the silver business case onto the table, opening the thing with a sharp *click*. The duffel bag was thrown to the floor with no regard to its safety.   
  
The inside of the silver case became the blonde's primary source of concentration, May grinning almost manically as she inspected the insides. She twitched her fingers in anticipation, like a mad scientist just given the ultimate laboratory.  
  
"Must you do this every time that you get out your chemistry kit?" Rally glanced towards the girl, her expression saturated with sarcasm.  
  
"Of course! It's my second baby next to Kenny-boy," May winked at the woman, then proceeded to pull out a couple of metallic tubes. "Now let's see here. Small but deadly explosives... Hmm... plastic explosives for a plastic gun sound good?" She looked over at Rally.  
  
"Make explosives that don't look like them, May."  
  
"Fine, fine. Guess bright pink's out of the question, then."  
  
Rally didn't bother to correct her, raising her eyebrows but saying nothing. May organized the selected tubes, then pulled out a set of rubber gloves, smiling fanatically as she did. Rally rolled her eyes. Explosive junkies. They never changed.  
  
The blonde whistled as she worked, sprinkling a dash of something or other every other second as she went about her business. Finally, she slapped her hands and smiled.   
  
"Where do you want this installed?"  
  
"In the hilt."  
  
"Ohhh-kay..." May said in a sing-song voice, walking over towards the plastic case and picking up her handiwork in one foul swoop. She smiled, then went about her work, putting on plastic gloves first. She hummed as she applied the plasticesque mixture she'd created inside the hilt of the plastic gun. Seconds later, she placed the thin paper-like material that separated that and the other half of the mixture that would cause it to detonate.  
  
"Done!"  
  
"That was awful quick," Rally said, raising an eyebrow. "I swear that you know more about terrorism than you let on, May."  
  
"Terrorism? No. The 'Family Business' is more like it. And all I learned, I know from Kenny-boy. So... I'd guess you'd say I know a little about the business of terrorism, but not enough to make me the real thing."  
  
"You never cease to amaze, May. Remind me never to let you know exactly what you can do with chlorine and-"  
  
May never got to find out what else besides chlorine was in the recipe, however, because suddenly the phone rang off the hook. May raised an eyebrow towards Rally, who shrugged. "I don't know."  
  
May shrugged, but walked over and picked up the phone. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head for a minute, and she giggled. However, this was short-lived as her face became serious moments later. "Mmm-hmm. Damn. Well, do you think he really will? I-" Rally raised an eyebrow, staring at her partner. May nodded once more with another "Mmm-hmm" and then proceeded to hang up.  
  
"May? Who was that?"  
  
"That was Ken."  
  
"Ken? As in... your Ken?"  
  
"Yep. And from what I understand, something's going down real soon in the underground. Ken said that a former boss in LA just purchased something really big that he calls 'his treasure'."  
  
"And that might affect us how?"  
  
"He thinks that Bill... that Bill may ask us to help out. And that-"  
  
"Ask us to help him out? HELL no!" Rally said, almost dropping the bit of hot plastic she was currently shaping into a barrel. "Why would he ask us to help him out in the first place?"  
  
"First, as Ken said," May pointed out, "He asked us before, if you'll remember."  
  
"Forced us into it, but yes," Rally reluctantly responded.  
  
"Second, we have the skills he would need. You, as an arms dealer and Grade-A bounty hunter. Me, for basically the same reasons."  
  
"But I-"  
  
"Third, because he's a jackass who just happens to be in love with you."   
  
"Now wait a minute here, May Hopkins-"  
  
Suddenly, the phone began to ring behind May, and both women turned to behold it with an afeared glance, Rally's face turning pale. May evilly turned and winked to the brown-haired woman.  
  
"Well? Should you get it, or should I?"   
  
"I'll get it, you smart ass. But if you're wrong, and it's Ken calling back to scare me, I'll-"  
  
Rally cut off her thought as she pulled the phone off the reciever and placed it to her ear, all smart-ass comments dying.  
  
"Hello, pussycat."  
  
"Oh God. May-" Rally called, but the blonde had conveniently disappeared. Rally slapped her forehead, and sighed. "Yes, Bill?"  
  
"I was wondering, would you and your friend Hopkins be interested in an assignment? Especially if I decided that I would be willing to... drop the entire issue on May's boyfriend being a former mafia member."  
  
"Bill, YOU SLIMY PIECE OF-"  
  
"Pack quickly- I'll pick up you two and my gun in two days. We're heading to LA. See you, my fine feline."  
  
The tone went dead on the other end, and Rally Vincent noticed that May stood in front of her once again, only this time she was accompanied by an already-packed suitcase in hand.   
  
"I hate it when you're right."  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
o.O wonder where this is going... let me know what you think- R&R! ^.^ 


	3. Reunion

A/N: Well, things are heating up! Hopefully this will be good for our heroes... and as always, R&R!  
  
"You are quite beautiful, yes," Farcelli said, admiring his newest equine acquisition as she looked at him with her golden eyes. She daintily ate the hay left before her, gnawing on it while holding the opposite end with one of her two-fingered hands. She placed her attention back to the dinner laid before her then, and Farcelli grinned, watching her.  
  
"A mare yes, but definately not one of the equine variety. I don't know what the Count was going on about, having a 'special breed' of horse. This is a woman, not a horse. Not that I'm complaining..." he said, thinking of the wife he currently had. He had to have one of his men take care of her. The woman was getting too wise for her own well-being.  
  
The creature turned and beheld the man with large golden eyes, putting down her finished breakfast. She took long, delicate strides towards him, then rubbed her head affectionately against his sleeve. Farcelli grinned, and rubbed the female's head.  
  
"So beautiful... yes, I think I shall have it done. Soon. Then, my pet, we shall be left alone together. What do you think of that?"  
  
The female merely rubbed her head against his hand all the harder, making slight 'whuffing' noises in assumed agreement. Farcelli smiled.   
  
"Soon, my pet. Very soon."  
  
"Why did we agree to this again?" Rally complained, pulling her suitcase behind her as she stepped off the terminal. She looked back at May, who was waving a playful good-bye to the pilot and co-pilot. "Oh. Right. Her boyfriend."  
  
"It's all for a very good cause, pussycat," Bill said, winking at the female bounty hunter.  
  
"Good cause, my ass..." Rally snorted under her breath. She rolled her eyes and pulled May away from her farewells, the blonde complaining the entire time. "Come on, blondie. You're the whole reason we were roped into this mess, remember?"   
  
"Rally!" May complained, crossing her arms. "Can't I at least say goodbye to the young gentlemen that made us arrive safely here?" The young pilots looked almost tearful as Rally pulled May away.   
  
"No, you may not. Business, May. We're here on business." Rally retorted to the blonde, then crossed her own arms and glanced up at Bill. "Where the hell is this friend of yours, anyways?"  
  
The FBI agent pulled at his collar, then chuckled a bit. "Well... that'd be stretching it a bit to call him my friend- colleague is more like it. Leon was in the same police academy I was, before I went off to get my training as an FBI agent. Since then, we went our separate ways- he to LA, and I obviously to Chicago. He's a good guy."  
  
"And why are we here again?"  
  
"We're here because there's something going on in the underground, and I know you two would be damn useful to have around. Hey- that rhymed! I knew I was good for something besides being an FBI agent!" the man joked.   
  
"Yeah. You're good at being a pain in my a-"  
  
"Bill? Bill, is that really you?" A man with blonde hair asked, dressed in a red t-shirt and jeans. Bill turned and grinned widely.   
  
"Leon? Is that really you? God, it's been too long!" The two men embraced in a hug, then leg go with a firm handshake. "My God, Leon- you've lost some weight, haven't you?"  
  
"Um... well, actually-" Leon started, then stopped when he saw the two women behind Bill, his eyes stopping on Rally. He raised an eyebrow, then held out his hand to the brown-haired woman. "And who might this lovely woman be, Bill? Is she yours?"  
  
Rally snorted, shook his hand quickly, then dropped it. "Hardly. Rally Vincent, bounty hunter and co-founder of Gunsmith Cats in Chicago, speciality: guns. This here," She nodded back towards May, "Is my partner, May Hopkins. Her speciality is explosives."  
  
"Partner? I assume you mean... um... partner as in working partner, right?" Leon blushed a little, his other hand having its fingers crossed.   
  
"What else would we be?" May asked, raising a blonde eyebrow. She felt a little miffed at being dismissed by the new arrival so easily, amd showed it from her agitated stance.   
  
"Um... forget it," Leon said, waving his hand. He finally noticed the blonde woman standing behind Rally and grinned. "So? Let me guess? You're the brains of the oufit, and she's the brawn, eh little girl?"  
  
"LITTLE GIRL?" May looked about ready to explode, her feet firmly planted in what was easily seen as a defensive stance. Rally's eyes widened whenever she saw the blonde about to go haywire, and she held out her hand to hold the girl back from jumping Leon.  
  
"Her name is May Hopkins, thank you," Rally said, recieving a grateful look from the blonde for the efforts on her behalf. May calmed down, and merely sniffed the air in answer, crossing her arms once again.  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Hopkins," Leon said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I didn't mean to belittle you, I just-"   
  
"Leon, ladies, why don't we all get out of here and call a cab? You already have the living situation taken care of, correct, Leon?"   
  
"Uh-" Leon gulped as he watched May give him a fierce look, then the man regained his composure. "Yes. Yes, I have the arrangements taken care of- there's a nearby complex that we keep our visiting officers in. I had two rooms withheld for you."  
  
"T-Two rooms?" Rally asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked at Bill, who shrugged innocently. Leon interjected in order to save his former police academy classmate.  
  
"Three beds. It's all I could do to spare two rooms, but I figured you two could room together," he said, nodding at May and Rally. Rally sighed, putting down the fist she hadn't even known she'd raised.   
  
"That's fine," Rally said, taking the initiative and walking around the blonde-haired man. She turned around and looked at the others. "Well? Shouldn't we be going somewhere?"  
  
"Damn. Is she like this all the time, Bill?" Leon asked as May joined her partner and darted foward towards the exit. Bill merely smiled.   
  
"That's how my pussycat always is. So, Leon, how can we help you?" Bill pointedly ignored the fuming Rally in front of him.  
  
"Well, you see, it all comes down to this stupid pet shop that I've been tracking for at least a year..."  
  
"So let me get this straight," Rally said, raising an eyebrow. She unhappily poked at a noodle of lo mein. "You think that this guy, this... what was his name? Duke D?"  
  
"Count D," Leon corrected between bites.  
  
"This Count D," Rally continued without skipping a beat, "runs some sort of underground drug ring, and that all these 'pets' he sells are somehow connected to the premature deaths of their owners?"  
  
"Not all of the pets. Just some of them. The ones that require a special contract."  
  
"He requires a contract to just purchase one of his pets?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. "Now that IS strange. What are they, endangered species that you need a special permit to raise?"  
  
Leon shrugged. "Beats me. The first pet I dealt with was no rare animal, I'll tell you that much. What it was, however... it was a rabbit. But no normal kind of rabbit. A killer rabbit."  
  
Rally snorted, still picking away at the food. "A killer rabbit? You think we're idiots?"  
  
Leon's eyes furrowed under frustrated eyebrows. "I'm not kidding. These rabbits, they- they attacked and killed their owners- they were bloodthirsty little creatures that actually tried to kill me as well- it was the freakiest thing I thought I'd ever see. But no. Count D has more than killer rabbits up his sleeve."  
  
"So... how are these 'killer rabbits'," Bill said, raising an eyebrow, "and this Count, and drugs, connected?"  
  
Leon sighed, putting his head in his hands. "I'm not sure."  
  
"You're not sure?" Rally asked, a slight smirk on her lips.  
  
"All I know is that usually the owners of these pets die under very mysterious circumstances, circumstances that aren't exactly... right. Circumstances that lead me to believe that most of them must be drug-related."  
  
"Drug-related. Why?" May asked, mid-way through a bite of General Tso's. Rally gave her partner a loathing glance. May naively ignored the glance, but swallowed her mouthful, and repeated herself. "Drug related, you said. Why?"  
  
"Because, damn it, this is LA, for God's sake! If it's not because of drugs, it's because of gangs. And if it's not because of gangs, it's because one of the gangs recently got their hands on some drugs!" Leon said, spitting out his sweet and sour pork all over the three people present. Bill merely smiled lopsidedly.  
  
"Haven't changed at all. Seriously, though, you think there are drugs involved? Okay. I can understand that. But the fact that this may all be tied to a little Chinaman's pet shop? Leon, that's a bit farfetched."  
  
"Not when Farcelli's involved."  
  
"Good point," Bill said. He looked over at Rally, who by this time had pushed away her carton of General Tso's and was now eyeing Bill's 'normal' chicken salad. "What's up, pussycat? Want a bite of my cat food?"  
  
"As a matter of fact-" Rally picked up a nearby fork and speared a chunk of the roasted fowl, stuffing it into her mouth. Seconds later, her carton and Bill's salad had mysteriously switched places. The man raised an eyebrow.  
  
"That wasn't an offer to trade."  
  
"A bite for me equals your entire meal," Rally said with a cat-like grin. Leon gave a half-smile in reply.   
  
"And what would you say to a whole meal? Perhaps on a weekend evening?" Leon smiled, trying to be his at his most alluring. May placed a hand over her mouth, trying not to choke as she held back a giggle.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, but I think that this particular kitten prefers professionals, Mr. Orcott. Not boys with just a badge," May giggled behind her napkin, recieving a look from both Leon and Bill for the comment. She proceeded to giggle even more.  
  
"A Chinaman, a former underground boss, drugs, and a pet shop," Rally said, thinking aloud between bites of Bill's dinner. She pointed her fork at Leon. "And you're sure they're related somehow."  
  
"As sure as I am that you have the most beautiful blue eyes I've seen." May choked behind her napkin once more. Rally let the comment slide off of her, and she finished the chicken she'd been chewing on.   
  
"If this pet shop's so important, I'd say that we should visit it right away and get whatever we can from this Duke D."  
  
"Count D," Leon corrected.   
  
"Whatever. I think we should get him to tell us what he knows. If he's involved, I'm sure that he'll leave signs or drop hints, at the very least. Whatever we can pick up from him, we'll use to crack him open and get more information."  
  
"I don't know that we'll get the information you think we will from this man," Leon said, shaking his head. Bill raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"He's very... circumspect about what he says. There's only one surefire way to get him to talk."  
  
"And that would be...?" May asked.  
  
"You'll find out as soon as I find a bakery."  
  
"A bakery?" Bill asked, unbelieving.   
  
"Chinatown has a different set of rules," Leon said, quoting his secretary, and looking at the FBI agent. "Let's just say that if you want anything from Count D, you have to indulge his sweet tooth."  
  
"He has a sweet tooth?" May said, and grinned widely. "A sweet tooth, a pet shop owner- sounds like a very huggable kind of guy. Is he cute?"   
  
"You have a boyfriend," Rally reminded her partner through slightly slitted eyes. May winked, then shook her finger at Rally.   
  
"I know I do- but Kenny-boy won't mind if I hug a guy, now will he?" May said, grinning. "Besides," She said, standing up away from the table, "I'm not the one who has to sort out her feelings, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
Rally turned a shade of red, but stood up, knocking the General Tso's away from her plate. "What the hell do you mean, May?" Both Bill and Leon looked away, muttering disclaimers. May grinned widely and winked at Rally, who gritted her teeth at the blonde.   
  
"Stupid... I do not need to sort out my feelings, May Hopkins," Rally spat, then crossed her arms. She looked at the two men, who glanced away conveniently. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's get going!"  
  
"Yes ma'am!" Both Leon and Bill said unanimously.  
  
"Visitors? You're sure?" a man with silky black hair asked the little creature that perched on his shoulder. "Really. Well, I believe we should go welcome then, shouldn't we?" He stood up from his sitting position, regally walking towards the entrance of his Chinatown pet shop.  
  
"Many visitors, many visitors. Hopefully some of my pets will find suitable homes with them."  
  
Count D pushed back the silk curtain that divided the room he'd just been in from his front lobby, where he saw four people- of only whom one was familiar to his eyes. He smiled in greeting.  
  
"Hello, Detective. Did you bring these friends of yours here to purchase a pet? How kind of you, thinking of their happiness."  
  
"Hello, Count," Leon answered, a tight bit of irritation in his voice. He did not like being chided by the Chinaman. "Actually, these people aren't here to pick up a pet. They're some... uh..." he looked at Rally, May, and Bill, then snapped his fingers in finding a resolution to his problem. "They're some comrades of mine, in a sense. They're here to help me piece together exactly what goes on in this pet shop of yours."  
  
"He doesn't look that dangerous," May whispered to Rally from the side. "Can he really be the drug dealer that Orcott here thinks he is?"  
  
"Remember the Vlaski bounty? The 'little boy' that was armed to the teeth with plastic explosives?"  
  
"Oh. Yeah. Appearances can be decieving, I remember..." May complained with a sigh, obviously still put-out that such an adorable man could possibly be dangerous.  
  
Suddenly, a rather miniscule brown ball zoomed into the area, fluttering around until it stopped mid-air in front of a rather surprised May.   
  
"Um..." the woman said, blinking as she beheld a small brown creature flapping a set of black leather wings in front of her. It was as small as a mouse, with a set of rabbit-like ears and webbed feet. "Wha-"  
  
"Q-chan," the Chinaman answered politely. "His name is Q-chan. Do not worry yourself, he is not harmful. Quite the opposite, actually." May blinked her green eyes at the creature, then held out both her palms towards it. After a quick squeak, the creature settled down into her palms to face her.  
  
"Great. Just what we need. Another creature that doesn't give us answers," Leon complained.  
  
"...he's ADORABLE!" May was heard to exclaim, hugging the little creature gently. She smiled, then looked at the Chinaman. "Although... I've never seen a creature like him, exactly. What is he, a flying mouse?"  
  
"Q-chan's species is derived from an ancient race that also is related to the mouse family, yes," the Chinaman said, smiling. "And welcome to my pet shop, Miss. I would assume that you are a comrade then, of Detective Orcott, as he has stated?"  
  
May was too busy playing with the little creature known as Q-chan to respond. Rally rolled her eyes at her partner, then held out her hand to the Chinese man. "Her name's May Hopkins, and mine's Rally Vincent. We're the Gunsmith Cats."   
  
Count D gave a small half-smile, then proceeded to take the girl's hand into his own, giving a small kiss on its back with a half-bow. "An honor, I am sure. Any comrade of the Detective must be a kind person."  
  
"I am not a-" Leon paused a moment, realizing that the Count hadn't given an insult, but rather a compliment. "Ah- I mean-"  
  
"And you can call me Bill," the FBI agent said, holding out his own hand. The Chinaman took the man's hand into his own and also gave a bow, but let the backhanded kiss slide for his gender's sake.   
  
"A pleasure. It is always welcome to meet comrades of the Detective. He is one of my regular visits to this pet shop, you know," the white-faced man smiled. He gestured with a robed hand towards a nearby flat table and chairs. "Please, sit down and have some tea with me. I happened to have made too much this time around, and would be happy to share my extra wealth with my honored guests."  
  
"Can Q-chan join us?" May asked, still rubbing her cheek against the flying mouse creature. Count D grinned.   
  
"Certainly- I never have had tea in which he did not attend." He walked smoothly over towards the table, May almost skipping behind. Rally raised an eyebrow at Bill and Leon, then also followed. The two men, however, stayed behind a moment.  
  
Bill looked at Leon. Leon raised an eyebrow.   
  
"I told you he was weird."  
  
"That was an understatement."  
  
"Well, I at least wasn't lying, was I?"  
  
"You have a point," Bill said, scratching the stubble on his chin. He then looked at Leon secretively. "Are you sure that we'll be able to get the information we need from-" he looked towards the Chinaman, "that freak of nature?"  
  
"Trust me, anything that happens in LA with unusual circumstance can usually be traced back to him. I have to trust my gut with this one."  
  
"Okay. But if you're wrong-"  
  
"If I'm wrong, I'll back away from that cute Rally of yours," Leon said, winking at the FBI agent. The blonde man grimaced a moment as Leon preceeded him towards the china set that awaited, then followed, straight-faced.   
  
No way was he going to be right. Only he, William Collins, had the rights to Rally's heart.  
  
No way was Leon going to be right.  
  
Well? What do you think? R/R, let me know! :D 


	4. Turning Points

A/N: Thanks for reading! Hopefully you find this to be quite tantalizing- and don't worry, it will be finished soon!   
  
"That's right- I'm telling you, he hasn't been-" the woman on the phone blushed for a moment, then shook her head. "He hasn't been- WITH- me for over three weeks now. And it all started whenever he purchased that stupid horse of his. He won't even let me see the thing- I'm beginning to think that this 'horse' of his is nothing but a harlet whose show name is 'Horse'."   
  
The voice on the other end comforted her, and she shed a few tears. "But- I'm his WIFE, for God's sake. That's why my last name's Farcelli, and not MacDougal anymore, remember? The reason that I left my home. I think he's really going to do it, Cheri. I really think he is."  
  
More words on the other end tried to console the woman.  
  
"I don't know what to do- I can't go to the police because I believe my husband is having an affair with a- with a horse, real or imagined! Can you imagine how much they'd laugh at me? And then tell them that I think he's plotting to have me finished off? I'd be laughed out of the police station."   
  
Tears streamed down her face. "I- I don't know what to do."  
  
Suddenly a door opened behind the woman speaking, and she whispered into the reciever. "I-I've got to go. I'll talk to you later, Cheri." She quickly placed the phone down onto its main part, and turned around quickly to face the steps that were coming towards her.  
  
"L-Lewis! What are you doing back from the stables so early...?"  
  
"You suspect me of something, don't you, Marianne?"  
  
"I- I don't know what you're talking about, Lewis-"  
  
The man smiled, his teeth pearly white with intelligence. "Oh, I know, Marianne. I know that you've been trying to find out about the new woman in my life."  
  
"The new- the new WOMAN? Then I was right! Lewis, you-"  
  
"She's just a horse," He said, continuing to wear his eerily cheerful grin. "Why?" He walked next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "The only new woman in my life is the filly that I purchased from the pet shop about three weeks ago."  
  
"But- but since then, you've been rather... circumspect about being near me, Lewis. You've- you've changed. And not for the better. We haven't even been, well... together for almost a month now, and I-"   
  
She leaned against his shoulder, tears streaming now at a more rapid pace.  
  
"I've just been so worried about everything- about us, and I-"  
  
"Shhh," he whispered, stroking her cheek with his left hand. He smiled gently as she cried, his eyes clouded. "Don't worry. There will be nothing to worry about soon."   
  
"You- you think so?" she asked, her tears pausing for a moment. He smiled, and not just his smile reflected light as he placed his hand on her shoulder.   
  
"I know so. Just be patient."  
  
Her patience cost much, for after a few minutes, she no longer had to wait to find the peace she so desired.  
  
"A horse. I told you already, Detective," Count D said to the group who now sat around the table that held the china tea set.   
  
"A horse. You tell me it's a horse. Just like you told me the last couple times that it was an ordinary enough animal. A lizard. A dog. A freaking rabbit. All of which END UP KILLING PEOPLE!"  
  
"Leon-" Bill said warningly, raising an eyebrow. Count D smiled gently behind his cup of tea, then set it down.   
  
"He has reason, I think, to be hesistant in believing me. A great deal of the police cases that he gets called in for have to do with unfortunate circumstances surrounding broken contracts. Otherwise, most of the sales contracts I have go very well, and both the pet and owner are supremely pleased."  
  
"...are you for real?" Bill asked, blinking.  
  
"So cute!" May continued to exclaim, now rubbing her finger behind the little flying Q-chan's ears. Rally shook her head and in response to her partner's outcry, then smiled at the Count.  
  
"So, there's a contract involved with all of these... failed pet owners?"  
  
"Yes. And quite a shame it is whenever they fail. I honestly pray that each will succeed and that they will enjoy each other's company. Sadly... it does not often turn out this way."  
  
"Okay. So these... contracts," Bill started, crossing his arms, "whenever they're broken, make you ineligible to be blamed for the consequences?"  
  
"Correct."  
  
"That's rather convenient, especially when so many of these contracts end up with the owner being killed," Bill noted. He gave the Chinaman a long, hard stare. He glanced at Rally, whose expression was one of obvious pensive nature.   
  
"Well... what were the three sales terms?" She asked, placing her right index finer against her chin. The Chinaman smiled.  
  
"Well, I shall tell you, but I believe that my Detective friend here has something that he has been hiding behind his back," the Count said, smilling. "Or so, Q-chan has told me." The little creature, still sitting in May's hands, squeaked.   
  
"Oh. Yeah." Leon grumbled, then pulled out a bag from his left jacket pocket. On its outer skin, it read "Godiva", and Count D's eyes literally sparkled with life.   
  
"Ah! You always seem to know exactly what is on my mind," the raven-haired man said, smiling as he picked up the package and opened it gently. His eyes practically popped from their sockets as he beheld the 'crown jewel' that he had just been brought. He squealed excitedly when he realized that the item that was in the bag was none other than a collection of hazelnut and almond truffles.   
  
"The sales terms?" Leon asked, reiterating Rally's earlier comment. "I know you told me earlier, but if a lovely lady wishes to know, then I must ask again," he added, winking at Rally as he spoke.  
  
Rally's expression became nonplussed.  
  
"Oh, yes, the sales terms," Count D cheerfully responded, his fingers already arranging the chocolates in an appealing manner of which to eat. "The sales terms were these, and these alone. One, that he should always burn incense around the creature. Two, to never let anyone see her but himself, and himself alone. Three, to never let her breed with any but her own line."  
  
"Doesn't sound particularly suspicious to me," Rally commented, still less than happy with Leon's mannerisms. She gave May a pointed look, which was ignored by the still-infatuated blonde.   
  
"These conditions are not hard, not by any means, to keep. Unfortunately, some things are not easy for some people. Some things can even be, what would one say, impossibly hard for one to keep to."   
  
May suddenly returned from her dreamland, blinking. "You mean- it's hard for people to just... do little things like burning incense?" She put a finger to her mouth. "I don't think that'd be difficult for someone like Farcelli."  
  
Rally, after a thankful prayer for bringing her partner back to Earth, continued. "I agree. They don't sound like hard terms for someone to follow."  
  
Leon rolled his eyes. "You say that now, but you'd be surprised how easy it is for some folks to break these supposedly 'easy' contracts- and every time they do, it ends in utter death or destruction."  
  
"I beg your pardon, detective, but were you speaking ill of my pet shop?" the Count asked casually before placing a chocolate into his rose-colored lips. Bill gulped, and shook his head, an apology about to exit his mouth. However, Leon raised a hand to the FBI agent and looked the black-haired man straight in the eye.  
  
"Screw the conditions. What we need to know is exactly how this ties into the rumors that Farcelli's just laid down a great deal of money. No horse costs that much, Count."  
  
The Chinaman finished chewing his delicacy, then swallowed. He remained silent for a moment, then stared at Q-chan, who had suddenly flew up from May's hands. His little ears were perked up, and he flew away from the group. May's heart was obviously torn by the subtraction of her newest friend, her green eyes going wide in sadness. The Count raised a hand towards her, and gave a small grin.  
  
"Do not worry about him. He is checking on something at the moment." He paused, then picked up his china teacup. "As for your question, Detective, I do not usually release the cost of the pets that I sell. However, this was quite an expensive one that Master Farcelli purchased."  
  
"How much is expensive?" Rally asked.  
  
He sipped from his teacup, then placed it back down. "Approximately three hundred thousand American dollars."  
  
Bill nearly dropped his already clumsily-held china cup, and blinked. "Three hundred grand for a freaking HORSE? I've heard of ridiculous prices for purebred animals, but that's just... that's just a rip-off!"  
  
"I remind you, sir, that the horse that I sold to Master Farcelli is an incredibly rare breed. The price at which it was sold was a great bargain in comparison to what I could have charged Master Farcelli."  
  
"It's still an extravagant amount," Rally pointed out. May nodded in agreement. The brown-haired woman sighed, then pointed towards the Chinaman. "You're sure that there was nothing else during the purchase that he might have told you about? This Farcelli doesn't sound like someone who would only be interested in horses, from his past record."  
  
"If it is anything else but pets, it is not dealt with in my shop," the man said, his golden eye unblinking. He then stood up and held out his right hand, on which a flying Q-chan became perched. The little creature let out a squeak, and the Chinaman's eyes widened for a moment, then closed in sadness.  
  
"What? What is it?" May asked, curious.  
  
"Sad news, I'm afraid to say. It seems Master Farcelli's wife has been killed."  
  
"Killed?" Bill, Rally, and Leon stood up at once, their hands quickly edging to their hips, ready to grasp their guns. Bill looked at Leon and gave a smirk.  
  
"Guess you were right, after all, about there being something interesting with that Farcelli. I think we should start the game. Wouldn't you agree?"  
  
"Completely," Leon grinned. He nodded towards Rally, who jerked her head towards the door, then smiled and nodded towards the pet shop owner.   
  
"Thank you so much for giving us the information we needed," she said, before running to catch up to the two men, who were already halfway to the doorway and stairs. May stood up and went to turn, but stopped to look back at the Count.  
  
"Is... is everything going to be all right?" She asked him, and he stayed silent for a minute. He gave the blonde a small smile, and he whispered something unheard to the little creature perched on his arm. The tiny winged creature flew from his hand to May's shoulder, and he smiled.   
  
"Do not worry. If you ever have need of me, send Q-chan. He will know where I am. And in the meantime," he smiled, and gestured towards the door, "I believe your friends are waiting for you."   
  
"Y-Yes," May said, turning and running towards the door. She smiled and said, "Goodbye" before exiting. Count D turned from the door and placed his fingers against each other, his thoughts meditative.  
  
He had not known that Master Farcelli had trafficked in drugs, although he had known to some extent that the man did not get all his money from perfectly honest means.  
  
If this was true, all that remained to be seen is what would become of him- whether or not he would allow this unfortunate accident with his wife to sway his judgement on the pet he had purchased. Count D placed a finger over his mouth, pensive, then put it down. He had placed his best ally and friend in the care of the blonde May Hopkins. He would know when, not if, at this point, D was sure, he was needed.  
  
"Jill!" A rushed Leon Orcott practically yelled into his cell phone. "Jill, are you there?"  
  
"Yes- you don't need to yell, Leon- what's the rush? This phone call was marked urgent, and you never do that-"  
  
"Something just came up. Jill, I need you to tell me any of the news that's just come in about Farcelli's wife. Supposedly, she just died, but I don't think it's due to natural causes."  
  
"Actually, it's interesting that you called now- some of the police already went up to the Farcelli's house- apparently there was a break in, and Farcelli's wife was there. She doesn't know where her husband keeps the 'goods', so to speak, and so the robber killed her for not knowing."  
  
Leon winced. "Anything that could tie this supposed 'break-in' to Farcelli?"  
  
"Not a thing," Jill said, then paused. "Although one thing was very interesting- when the police went to inspect the stables, there was one room that Farcelli was very vocal about leaving alone. Wouldn't even let the police search it."   
  
"The pet from the pet shop," Leon commented in a slight whisper.  
  
"What? What was that, Leon?"  
  
"Nothing. Jill, I need you to get any sort of data about Farcelli and his household- schematics, personel, anything you can get me. And-" he continued, "Any information on Farcelli's wife and how she was related to him- I mean in business means."  
  
"Anything else, O mighty detective?" The blonde drawled over the phone line.   
  
"Nothing- Thanks Jill, you're a real dearheart. I'll owe you a dinner, okay?"  
  
With that, the reciever went click, leaving a slightly unhappy Jill alone with her desk and paperwork. She shook her head, and sighed. "Some men... well, I will say this- anything this man's dedicated to, he gives one hundred percent. I only wish-"  
  
The secretary stopped mid-word, shook her head, and set about her work. Dreams weren't meant for secretaries to persue, after all. Those were only meant for real women with dreams.  
  
"Well?" Rally asked Leon after he hung up his cell phone. The man gave her a smile, followed by a shake of the head. Bill frowned at his blonde counterpart.  
  
"Jill's going to get the information for us. In the meantime, I think we should have some downtime while we wait for the rest of my division to get the information on Farcelli's wife."  
  
"That's it? We're just going to sit here?" May asked. The little Q-chan on her shoulder squeaked in agreement.  
  
Bill looked thoughtful for a minute, then shook his head. "I have to agree with Leon on this one. We can't do anything until we have more information. However, in the meantime, it wouldn't be remiss if we went back to the rooms for us and got some real 'down time', now would it?"  
  
"Not at all," Leon smiled. He offered his hand to Rally to enter the car, but the brown-haired woman refused, instead stepping in on her own accord. Both Bill and May exchanged a secret grin. He wasn't winning the battle by a long shot.   
  
Rally leaned against the window, watching the outside street as the rest of present company entered the detective's car. The street slowly started to drift by as Leon drove away from the pet shop and back towards the station.   
  
She didn't know what she was doing here- she knew the obvious, that she was here to help out in bringing down a supposed Drug Lord, but beyond that... she didn't know. Some sort of feeling was creeping up on her. Something that Rally didn't want to admit to herself.  
  
It felt nice to be hit on by that blonde detective, but Rally found herself longing for someone else whenever he did- not only that, but she was beginning to wonder if she'd let herself be coerced into this trip a little too easily.   
  
Rally wasn't one to reveal her hand when asked, and right now she felt as though she was being forced to, if for no other reason than to convince herself of the truth.   
  
She'd come because Bill was there.  
  
Well? Read/Review/Let me know what you think! Chapter 5 in the works, sure to come out soon! 


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